The Peace Summit
by Fire in a Dark Soul
Summary: AU. In a world where the Avatar died 100 years previously, the heads of every nation must assembly biannually to maintain peace. Faced with an arranged marriage, a father who never loved him, and a mysterious attacker hellbent on destroying the world as he knows it, Zuko runs away with the first person he runs into- the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe. Zutara. Crappy! Sorry!


The room was dark. The thick, blood red curtains were to thank for that; had they not been closed tightly, the newly risen sun would have flooded the room with light through the large window. Now, however, there was almost no indication inside the room that it was just after dawn. The marble floor was cold and dark, as was the rest of the furniture around the massive chamber. The sheets were askew on the giant bed that dominated the far wall, and everything was covered in the velvety darkness. There was no indication at all, in fact, but for a pair of golden eyes that glared up at the ceiling.

Prince Zuko always awoke at this time- just after daybreak. As a firebender, he rose with the sun, and today was no exception. Not that he enjoyed it, of course. Rising with the sun usually meant he got very little sleep, especially when he was kept awake as he had been the night before. He glowered at the ceiling with tired eyes as he remembered the previous, hellish evening. He had been forced to sit through a _meeting._ A boring, pointless _meeting_ had been the cause of his lack of sleep, as it went on long into the night. A _meeting,_ which was dedicated to planning the next week's events.

Needless to say, Zuko was not looking forward to the days ahead.

The meeting had been about planning the annual Peace Summit, a painfully boring event that took place every other year. Oh, how Zuko _loathed_ it. Every other year, he was forced to sit through negotiation after negotiation along with the other delegates and families from the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.

It had all started many years ago, back in the days of the Avatar, and back in a time of war. The war had been started when the Fire Nation wiped out all of the Air Nomads, believing them to be an inferior race. The only one with a chance at ending the war was the Avatar, the master of the four elements. Though he did stop the war, he was also killed whilst in the Avatar state, which meant the cycle was broken. There would never be a Master of All Elements again.

Seeing what they had done, the nations decided to create the Peace Summit, so as to keep the- well, the _peace-_ and balance, despite the lack of the Avatar the world was now facing (and had caused). And that was all fine and good, back when there were real issues to sort through and settle. When the world still needed to be put back together again.

Now, however, there was nearly nothing to work out that hadn't been settled already. Yet, every other year, the tradition continued, and each year the negotiations grew less and less interesting and far more irritating. As Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko had always been forced to attend, and this year it would be held in the Fire Nation palace, which left him with virtually no means of escape. Thus, for the next week, Zuko would have time for nothing else but listening to adults bicker like children over the petty woes of each nation.

Zuko got up with a heavy sigh. He couldn't lay there any longer, not when he had so little time before it all started. After getting dressed in simple black pants and a vest shirt, he walked over to the water basin. As he broke the smooth surface of the liquid with his hands, he looked up into the mirror and examined his reflection. His black hair was shaggy and messy as always, and he had no desire to do anything but leave it the way it was. Anything was better than the dreadful topknot he was normally expected to pull it back in. His eyes roved over his face. His skin was pale and smooth, except for the area around his left eye.

The flesh there had been scarred, his left eye forced into a permanent squint and the scar reaching all the way back to shrivel his ear. The scar was, of course, courtesy of his father- Fire Lord Ozai. A reminder to Zuko that he would forever be unloved and unwanted, in his eyes.

Zuko grabbed a towel and headed out of his room. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to forego breakfast in favor of training, while he still had the chance. After all, the delegates would be arriving soon. Best to take his aggression out while training instead of burning them all to a crisp, really. If only because it might spark yet another pointless war that his great-grandchildren would be forced to attend Peace Summits in order to resolve. As he walked down the hall towards the training area, however, a most unwelcome voice creeped into his ears from behind him.

"Going somewhere, Zuzu?" asked Azula. Gritting his teeth,he kept walking.

"Oh Zuzu~? Hasn't that precious Uncle of yours even taught you that it's _rude_ to ignore people? Zuzu!"

"Don't call me that!" he finally snapped. Azula grinned.

Azula had always loved taunting Zuko. Ever since they were little, she had enjoyed finding new ways to make him angry. This was one of the many ways Azula controlled her brother. All it would take was one well-placed insult- just a nickname, a snide comment, or, on his worst days, even a slightly more irritating tone of voice- and she could make him do whatever she wanted him to, without Zuko realizing it. Even as they grew older, this never changed. In fact, it had become that much easier now; because Zuko was always full of that 'classic-burnt-boy' angst nowadays, making him angry took little to no effort on Azula's part.

"Oh my, what a clever retort. How do you come up with them?" Azula drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Clenching his fists, Zuko turned around to face his sister.

"What do you want, Azula?"

"What do you mean, dearest brother? I only came to congratulate you," Azula replied in an oh-so _innocent_ voice. This caught Zuko off guard. He had expected nothing more than her usual sneers and smirks. But playing innocent? This could only mean one thing. One very, very dangerous thing- she knew something he didn't.

"Congratulate me? On what?"

"You mean no one's told you yet?" She asked in a once again bored voice, dropping her innocent act in favor of examining her nails.

"What do you mean?" Zuko nearly growled, his eyes narrowing.

Azula ignored him, and continued, "Well, I suppose since you don't speak with anyone other than your precious Uncle, you wouldn't, would you?"

"Get to the point, Azula!" Zuko spat.

"Manners, brother."

"Get to the point, 'please'," he seethed.

"Sure, sure. You're going to be married, Zuzu! Father has already arranged _everything_ with her parents and _everything_!" replied Azula, clutching her hands together and smirking at the dumbfounded look that replaced the anger on Zuko's face. After a moment or two, Zuko was finally able to ask, "Married? To who?"

Azula merely raised a brow at him. Of course he knew who it was. Who else could it be? Which other noble in the palace had a daughter his age? Azula watched the wheels turn in her brother's head until it finally clicked.

"You don't mean... _Mai?!_" Zuko demanded. No. No way was he going to marry a knife-throwing, shadow-lurking, Azula-following, emotionless _blob_ like her. He had seen her before; she was one of Azula's friends, and had helped her on several occasions to make his life miserable. Azula was probably just lying like always, right? His father would never do that to him. _Right?_

"Duh. Unless, of course, there's someone else you'd like to marry before you're 17?" Azula challenged. Zuko felt his cheeks grow warm, before he turned his back on his sister.

"You're lying, Azula, just like always," he said as he stalked off towards the training area, leaving a snickering Azula in his wake.

* * *

'_Azula always lies. Azula always lies.'_

Zuko repeated the mantra over and over in his head as he trained, sending fire in every direction as he practiced his firebending katas.

_'She just has to be.'_


End file.
